1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing systems that process image data containing confidential information, image processing apparatuses and servers in the image processing systems, and data control methods and storage media storing programs thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, legislative regulations such as personal information protection laws etc, have imposed an increasing necessity for companies to prevent leakage of various business information handled by the companies. On the other hand, as image processing apparatuses have become ubiquitous, anyone can easily copy and send documents. Therefore, it has become considerably important to prevent leakage of information, such as copying and sending of confidential documents, etc. In order to address the information leakage, for example, ail image data read (input) and printed, and sent (output) when copying and sending etc. are performed may be stored in the image processing apparatus to record what process has been processed by whom, when, and where (Japanese Parent Laid-Open No. 2005-157569). Moreover, it may be checked whether or not recorded image data contains confidential information.
There are also a known image processing apparatus having a box function of storing image data and a known image formation apparatus having a reprinting function. For example, image data, from which an image has already been formed, is stored in an image memory provided in a copier etc., and when a user requests additional image formation of the stored image data, the image data is read from, the image memory to perform image formation (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-154541).
However, in any conventional configurations, even if it is checked, whether or not input or output image data contains confidential data, a user cannot know the check result before execution of a job when image processing is executed using the image data. Therefore, if the image data contains confidential information, a user needs to check the security of the target image data every time the job is executed.